The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Oak tree, botanically known as Quercus lyrata, commercially referred to as Swamp Post Oak or Overcup Oak and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Hopeulikit’.
The new Oak tree is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Pulaski and Oconee Counties, Ga. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Oak trees appropriate for urban landscapes that have an upswept branching habit and attractive autumn leaf color.
The new Oak tree originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed selection of Quercus lyrata, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Quercus lyrata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Oak tree was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Pulaski County, Ga. in November, 2004.
Asexual reproduction of the new Oak tree by grafting in a controlled environment in Oconee County, Ga. has shown that the unique features of this new Oak tree are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.